Traction-engine.



H. H. KRYGER; TRACTION menu;

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1913- 1 ,120,945. Patented Dec. 15,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l I l l I l l l I l H. H. KRYGER.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1913.

1 ,120,945. Patented Dec. 15, 1914. a sums-sax z.

fin/enforll ffflasses,

a @wd M THO., WASHINGTON. D. Cv

- H. H. KRYGER.

TRACTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.11,1913.

1 ,120,945. Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

$6 .F/farvrey, z?

RS an PHOTOUTH'Q. WASHING TON. Dr C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. KRYGEB; or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNnsoTA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed January 11, 1913. Serial No. 741,480.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. KRYGER, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain traction enginesand itincludes as its salient novel feature, very large tractlon wheels arranged to serve as housings or parts, of a cab, and a suitable frameworkhavlng platform supporting trusses .or skeletons with guide wheels-on which the traction wheels proper are arranged to rotate. traction wheels are thus not only to ser e as housings or cabcompartments, but they inclose and protect from dirt, rain, snow,.andthe other elements, the bearings and driving; gears which collect on the framework of the traction wheels.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout'theseveral views- Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, some parts broken away, showing a traction engine designed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the rearsteering wheel of the traction engine; Fig.3 is a front eleration with some parts sectioned and ',with some parts broken away, showing chiefly the cab structure of the tractionengine or tractor; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 00} m on Fig, 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elev ation with some parts broken away and with parts removed showing the framework or skeleton of the tractor, and Fig. 6 is a detail ,in-horizontal section taken approximatel on the line m w on Fig. 5. v.

' The framework of theimachine comprises a'rectangularskeleton 1 provided at its sides with rectangular projections or supplemental frame extensionst2 that. are surrounded by very large and very wide annular or hubless traction. wheels 8- that are channelshaped in crosssection. These channelshapedtraction wheels3 are provided with annular internal 'railse that run on flanged lower guide wheels 5 and similar flangedupper guide wheels 6.-, The lower guide wheels 5 are shown as secured to axles ,7

j ournaled in suitable bearings 8 fixed onthe,

lower portions'of the frame extensions 2. Theupper wheels 6 are secured to axles 9 journaled in bearings l0 that are mounted for limited vertical movements in keeper brackets 11 rigidly secured on the upper portions of the said frame extensions 2.

Coiled springs 12 that are subject to ad justing screws 13, yieldingly press the bear:

ings 10, and hencethe upperwheels 6, up-.

ward as far. as they will go and thus take up all play betwefil fithe upper wheels 6 and the internal annular rails 4 of thesaid traction wheels)? The said traction wheels are thus each mounted to rotate around or upon a set of eight guide wheels, which guide wheels, complete, afford the journal for the said tractionwheel The tractor may be driven either by an explosive engine or by a steam engine, but is preferably drivenby the former, the said explosive engine which is herein indicated as an entirety by the numeral 14, being suitably mountedton the forwardly projecting end of the main frame 1. The crank shaft of this engine isshown as provided with a beveled gear 15' that is adapted to be engaged by eitherof two opposite beveled gears 16 and 17 that rare keyed for rotation with, but moLmtedfor sliding movements upon a transverse, guide shaft 18 ,journaled in suitable bearings onithe main frame land its supplemental or lateral] extensions 2 The beveled gears 16 and 17 are shown as pro,- vided with rgroove hubs engaged by shipper heads 19, secured to a shipper bar 20 adapted to be moved by a lever 21 (see Fig. 4); WVithin each annular traction wheel 3, the counter shaft 18 is provided with a spur pinion 22 that meshes with a very large internal ring gear 23 secured to the shell of the said traction wheel, preferably, at the transverse, center thereof and midway between the two IateraHyspaced annular rails 4. w

' An operators platform 24; is extended on the lower portlon of the main frame 1 and on the lower portions of the lateral extensions 2, so that the operator may walk freely between the two traction wheels and into and out of either of the said traction wheels. The main frame 1 is preferably provided with a housing 25 which serves as a main cab compartment, and, as shown, is provided with an entrance door 26 (see Figs. 1 and 3). The inner faces of the traction wheels 3 are left with the large annular openings adjacent to the housing or main cab structure 25, but the large annular openings in the outer sides of the said traction wheels are preferably closed by large. disklike housing plates 27, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the outer end portions of the frame extensions 2. These housing plates 27 are shown as provided with hinged doors 28 which, when opened, affordaccess to the interior of' the traction wheels and which are preferably glazed so that when closed, the cab compartments within the traction wheels will be made light. 'Bolted,

or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear end portion of the main frame 1,and projecting laterally therefrom, approximately to the outer faces of the traction wheels 3, is a bolster 29.

a The numeral 30 indicates an auxiliary rear truck frame, which, at its front portion, is provided; with a trussed and laterally projecting bolster 31 that is centrally pivoted to the bolster 29 and rear end portion of the main frame 1, as shown, by a coupling bolt 32 (see Fig-"4C). This auxiliary truck frame 30 is provided with a horizontal bearing ring 33 on which a segmental gear 34: is arranged tov move pivotally on the axis of the said ring 33. This segmental gear 34 is provided with bearings 35 on which the spindle36 of a wide faced steering wheel or roller 37 is journaled. The segmental gear 34; meshes with a worm 38 secured to a short transverse shaft" 39 journaled in suitable bearings on the said auxiliary frame 30 and provided near one end with a worm gear 39 that meshes with a worm 40 on the lower end of a'steering post 41. The said steering postal is mounted in suitable hearings on the main frame 1 and at its upper end, is provided with the usual end wheel 42 see Figs. 4c and'5 The swivel or pivotal connection between the main truck frame and the auxiliary rear truck frame, provided at 32, permits the large and heavy main traction wheels to adapt themselvesto all irregularities of the ground while permitting the wide faced and heavy rear 01* steering wheel 37, likewise toindependently adapt itself to irregularities in the surface 'of the ground. This, as is evident, relieves the framework of the machine from undue strains which would be put thereon with a more rigid or inflexible frame structure.

Preferably, scrapers are provided for keeping the outerfaces of the main traction wheels 3 free from accumulation of dirt or mud. To this end, scraper blades &3 (see Figs. 5 and 6) are mounted in suitable keepers 4%, formed as extensions of the rear lower bars of the main frame 1. These scraper blades 43 are, as shown, pressed forward by set screws 45 working through flanges 011 the said keepers A. Inasmuch as the faces of the wheels 3 will usually have projecting bolt heads or nuts, the working edges of the scrapers a3 are notched to clear the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The traction engine of this character is adapted for use for a great many different purposes. It may, for instance, be used to haul a gang of plows, a gang of seeders, or a gang of disk drills. In Figs. 1 and 5, disk drills indicatedas entireties by the numeral 46'are shown as attached to the bolster 31 of the rear auxiliary truck frame.

With the above described arrangement, theuse of traction wheels of very great diameter, say ten feet or more, ismade practical. These large traction wheels, with their wide faces wi'l1, of course, roll very easily overfsoft' and rough ground, such as plowed ground, for instance. By the direct application of the driving power to the front portions thereof, there is little loss of, friction in the transmission and a material gain in efiective driving power.. The driving gears beinginoased or housed in, are protected from dirt,.and hence will run orwear' very much longer than exposed gears such as usually employed. All of the above features contribute to make a very highly eflicient and very powerful tractor.

What I claim is:

1. In a tractor, the combination with a framework having lateral projections with circumferential ly spaced pairs of inner and outer guidewheels mounted thereon, of annular wheels having laterally spaced pairs of internal rails mounted on said guide wheels, whereby the said guide wheels afford journals for said annular wheels.

2. In a tractor, the combination with a framework having lateral projections with circumferentially spaced pairs of inner and outer guide wheels mounted thereon, of annular wheels having laterally spaced pairs of internal rails mounted on said guide wheels, whereby-the said guide wheels afford journals for said annular wheels, and non-rotary housing plates applied to the lateral extensions of said framework and tightl closing the outer sides of said annular wheels.

3. Ina tractor, the combination with a framewQrk. h in ate al rrqi etiensi w h ciroumfel'entially spaced guide wheels mounted thereon, of annular traction wheels mounted on said guide-wheels, the" said the outer sides of the said traction'wheels- 4. In a tractor, thecombination with a framework having lateral projections with circumferentially spaced '1 guide wheels mounted thereon, of annular traction wheels mounted on said guide wheels, internal ring gears applied to the interiors of said annular traction wheels, and engine driven pinions meshing with said ring gears.

In a tractor, the combination with a framework having lateral projections with circumferentially spaced guide wheels mounted thereon, of annular traction wheels mounted on said guide wheels, internal ring gears applied to the interiors of said annular traction wheels, a transverse counter shaft mounted on said framework and having pinions meshing with said ring gears, an engine on said frame and a reversible drive connecting said engine to said counter shaft.

6. The combination with a framework having lateral skeleton pairs of laterally spaced flanged guide wheels journaled on each lateral projection of said framework, and a pair of annular traction wheels having laterally spaced internal rails running on the said flanged guide wheels.

7. The combination with a" framework having lateral skeleton projections, of four pairs of laterally spaced flanged guide wheels journaled on each lateral projection of said framework, and a pair of annular traction wheels having laterally spaced internal rails running on said flanged guide wheels, the -upper members of said guide wheels being yieldingly pressed upward.

8. The combination with a framework having lateral skeleton projections, of four pairs of laterally spaced flanged guide wheels journaled on each lateral projection of said framework, and a pair of annular traction wheels having laterally spaced internal rails running on the said flanged guide wheels, internal ring gears secured to the interiors of said annular traction wheels between the endless rails thereof, and a transverse engine driven counter shaft mounted on said framework and provided with spur pinions meshing with said ring gears for driving said traction wheels.

9. The combination with a framework having lateral skeleton projections, of four pairs of laterally spaced flanged guide wheels journaled on each lateral projection of said framework, and a pair of annular traction wheels having laterally spaced internal rails running on the said flanged guide wheels, said framework having a platprojections, of four extended: into said pairs of laterally 'spaced flanged guide i wheels journaledconeachlateral projection of said framework, and a'pair of annular traction wheels having laterally spaced internal rails running on the said" flanged 'f guide wheels, said framework having a platform with projections extended into said an-v nular traction wheels, and door equipped housing plates applied to the said frame extensions and 'closing the outer sides of said annular traction wheels.

11. In a tractor, the combination with a framework having lateral projections with circumferentially spaced guide wheels mounted thereon, of annular traction wheels mounted on said guide wheels, and a supplemental truck frame swiveled to the rear portion of said main frame and provided with a steering wheel.

12. The combination with a framework having lateral skeleton projections, of four pairs of laterally spaced flanged guide wheels journaled on each lateral projection of said framework, a pair of annular traction wheels having rails running on the said flanged guide wheels, and a supplemental truck frame swiveled to the rear endportion ofwsaid main frame, a wheel support pivotally laterally spaced internal mounted on said rear supplemental truck frame, a wheel journaled to said support, and means for moving said wheel support to steer the tractor.

13. The. combination with a framework having lateral skeleton pairs of laterally spaced flanged guide wheels journaled on each lateral projection of said framework, a pair of annular trac- I tion wheels having laterally spaced internal rails running on the said flanged guide wheels, and a supplemental truck frame swiveled to the rear end portion of said main frame, a wheel support pivotally mounted on said rear supplemental truck frame, a wheel journaled to said support, and means for moving said wheel support to steer the tractor, said main frame having a cab housing between said traction wheels.

lfThe combination with a framework having lateral skeleton projections, of four pairs of laterally spaced flanged guide wheels journaled of said framework, a pair of annular traction wheel'shaving laterally spaced internal rails running on the said flanged guide 'wheels, and a supplemental truck frame swiveled to the rear end portion of said main frame, a wheel support pivotally mounted on said rear supplemental truck frame, a wheel journaled to said support, means for moving said Wheel support to projections, of four j e e ctor, a d main flame ha illg a lR Wfifiiflll y whqreaq I avfiiw l-my signatur cab ng en id t aq wheel in; PIBSQHQQ of-vtwo W tn $se and the extensions of said framework havdOO EQQ iPPQ ou ing plateS losing the v n H- KRYGER- ,5 Out ides aid annular t a t on h e wit sses nd p v ded-a s wit a pla fo m ex end HARRY. D- KILGQB into said; traction heels; D. MERCHANT- ijgpigszbf this D g-tent gay be: obtained for five cez its egclg, aglqyelsgng 

